STATESBORO, Georgia: An illegal alien has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a stolen vehicle operation. His co-defendant’s have also been sentenced.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge L. Randal Hall and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:Marcial Diaz-Sanchez, 25, of El Salvador, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $70,859 after pleading guilty to Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Motor Vehicle. Isaiah Joseph Jaimes, 25, of South Houston, Texas, was sentenced to time served followed by three years of supervised release, 40 hours of community service and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $70,859 after pleading guilty to Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Motor Vehicle. There is no parole in the federal system. As described in court documents and testimony, in November 2024, Diaz-Sanchez and his co-defendant attempted to sell a vehicle, which they knew had been stolen from Texas. The defendants used Facebook Marketplace to negotiate and arrange the sale of the vehicle, which unbeknownst to them was to an undercover Jenkins County Deputy Sheriff. A subsequent search of the defendant’s phone revealed photos of high-end vehicles, counterfeit Texas titles and VINs, and large amounts of U.S. currency. An additional co-defendant, Rene Armando Reyes Velasquez, 24, of El Salvador, was previously sentenced in June after pleading guilty to Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Motor Vehicle.
“Know this: those that steal another’s property and disregard federal law will face justice,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Our extensive relationship with our law enforcement partners was instrumental in the prosecution of this case, directly impacting the safety of our communities and security of our property.” “Stealing vehicles and attempting to turn stolen property into profit comes with serious consequences,” said Brad Snider, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Statesboro office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to disrupt these schemes, recover stolen property, and hold those responsible accountable.”
The FBI and Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation of this case and was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcela C. Mateo and Kelsey L. Scanlon.